Goat for Yahweh, Goat for Azazel

Hans M. Moscicke (PhD in Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity, Marquette University) is currently an instructor at Saint Louis University.

• 1.The Final Judgment as Ritual Purgation of Cosmos: The Impact of Yom Kippur on “the Sheep and the Goats” (Matt. 25:31-46)2.Jesus as Goat for Yahweh and Goat for Azazel in Matthew’s Baptism-Temptation Narrative (Matt. 3:16?4:11)3.Jubilary Release of Sins and the Scapegoating of Jesus in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30)4.The Gerasene/Gadarene Exorcism as Apocalyptic Mimesis of the Scapegoat Ritual: A Synoptic Analysis5.Jesus’s Atonement and Heavenly Ascent in John’s Resurrection Narrative (John 20:11-23)

Moscicke's work provides fascinating and unprecedented insight into how the New Testament Gospels drew upon Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement ritual in their portrayal of the life and teachings of Jesus. Engaging an impressive array of primary source material, Moscicke places the Gospels in their proper Second Temple context, revealing how the evangelists utilized imagery from Leviticus 16 and various Yom Kippur traditions to advance their respective theological messages. Goat for Yahweh, Goat for Azazel is clearly written, precise in details, and extremely interesting. For years to come it will benefit both scholars and lay people seeking to recapture the sacrerdotal dimensions of the earliest stories about Jesus.